AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t you think I learned my lesson last time?”
“I sure as hell hope not.”
Her belly fluttered. “Anything else?”
“No. Except to apologize for bein’ a jackass last night when you called.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Good enough. See you at six. Got somethin’ special planned.”
Lord. She hoped it wasn’t another one of his penalties.
Yes, you do.
***
Soon as AJ pulled into the yard, Cord didn’t cool his bootheels in the house like usual; he bounded out like an eager pup. He bent down and kissed her soundly, a mixture of sweetness, heat and gratitude.
He tugged her to the corral. “Come on. We’re goin’ ridin’. Mick put new shoes on the horses today. I haven’t been as vigilant about exercising them as I usually am.” His hot gaze flicked from her red ropers to her pink face. “Had more important things on my mind lately.”
“I haven’t put Lucy through her paces since that day—” She looked up at him.
“Say it.” He scooted closer and stared at her lustful mouth. “The day I…?”
“Tied me up in the barn and screwed me silly.”
“Complainin’?”
“God no. The way you make me feel, Cord, hot and needed—” She hastily added,
“Sexually speaking, of course.”
Cord wondered why she felt the need to qualify that?
Because this is a sexual relationship, dumbass. You shouldn’t be taking her riding.
You should be riding her.
“Come on, let’s get saddled up.”
“Did you pick a horse for me?”
“Nah. You had a chance to ride them all when you watched Ky, so you know which one you like better than I would.”
AJ picked Nickel, a quarter horse retired from barrel racing. Which just proved he’d been right in letting her choose her mount because he would’ve saddled up Borneo, a much older and gentler horse than Nickel.
“Whose saddle is this?” She walked behind Nickel to his right side and reached under his belly to fasten the cinch.
“I bought it for Marla right after we moved back here.”
“That’s why it still looks new?”
Cord grinned. “Uh-huh. Might be a little stiff.”
“I like stiff. I can work with stiff.”
Surely she hadn’t meant…he glanced over at her to see a big ol’ smile on her not-so-innocent face. “And I used to think you were so sweet.”
“Used to think?”
“Now I know under that sweetness is a wickedly naughty streak.”
“Complainin’?” she mimicked.
“God no.”
She returned to Nickel’s left side, unhooked the halter and let it dangle while she slipped on the bridle. Damndest thing. Nickel, who didn’t allow just anyone to slip a bit in his mouth, opened right up. She talked to him, slipped the bridle over his ears, undid the quick release knot on the leadrope and draped both over the hook on the fence.
“You gonna get the gate?”
He’d been so engrossed with her horsewomanship that he hadn’t readied his own mount. Cord followed AJ into the pasture. She’d climbed on while he’d closed the gate.
Damn. He’d wanted to see that very fine ass of hers in the air as she threw her long leg over the saddle.
Cord mounted up. “I thought we’d ride to the butte.”
“Okay. Fast or slow?”
Soon as fast made it out of his mouth, AJ took off. She handled Nickel like a pro, giving him his head but staying in total control.
He caught her, but he suspected she’d let him catch her.
AJ faced him and her smile rivaled the radiance of the sun. “These horseshoes seem to be fine.”
“Smarty.”
They ambled along through the sagebrush and rocks. Letting the horses lead them around scrub cedar and stunted pines.
She sighed. “I love how every time I ride through the fields some new wildflower has popped up.” She pointed. “See? That one wasn’t out two weeks ago.”
“Guess I hadn’t noticed.”
She reined her horse to a stop.
“What?”
“Cord McKay. How can you be out here all the time and not notice the flowers?
Can’t you see the daisies? The wild roses? The tiny purple starflowers? The yarrow? The lavender heads on the milkweed?”
“I see weeds. You see all that?”
She nodded. “Nothing on earth is as pretty as Wyoming wildflowers.”
“Oh, I’d beg to disagree, baby doll.”
AJ looked up and saw him staring at her. “You know what I meant.”
“And you know what I meant. You’re beautiful, AJ. Wild and free on the back of that horse. The wind in your hair, the sun glowin’ on your face, miles of blue sky behind you. Wish I had a camera.” To show her how stunning she looked because he didn’t need tangible proof. The image of her would be burned into his brain forever.
Those sharp gray eyes narrowed. “Did you hit your head in the last couple days?”
“What do ya mean?”
“First an apology? Then a horseback ride? Now you’re tossing me compliments like poetry? You gonna whip out a guitar and serenade me with cowboy love songs next?”
“No. Next, I’m gonna…” He spurred Jester in the sides and yelled over his shoulder,
“Race you to the butte.”
He heard her laughing and knew his playful side surprised her, hell it surprised him too, but he didn’t let the reckless feeling deter him from winning for a change.
“I deserved that.” She urged Nickel to the left to skirt the base of the butte as she shaded her eyes and looked up. “You ever climbed to the top of this?”
“Long time ago. Why?”
“How far can you see?”
“Pretty far. Not like on that plateau by Devil’s Tower where everything is spread out for two hundred miles.”
“There’s a butte on our place—well, your place now—that I used to climb. Never imagined when I climbed it two years ago it’d be the last time.”
They rode in silence until Cord realized it was an unnatural silence.
“I’m really gonna miss all this like crazy.”
I’m really gonna miss you like crazy.
Cord checked his watch. “We should be gettin’ back. I’ve gotta call Ky pretty soon.”
“He ready to come home yet?”
